Welcome to Episode 6 of Blac Re-Membering: Highlighting the Heavy and the Hope. Today's episode is facilitated by Melanie Meade and invites Shawn Reed and Meagan Neibler of Fairshake Environmental Legal Services to speak about their commitment to the community and why it is important in the fight for Environmental Justice along Black Appalachia.
We also invite you to register and attend our first Policy Summit on July 21-22, 2023. This is a multi-day conversation on uplifting Black voices to create effective, community-centered policy. Register for each day of the summit at bit.ly/2023-BLAC-policy-summit
A special thank you to Shawn and Meagan for the work they do and their commitment to Environmental Justice for all.
Fairshake believes that communities should be the drivers of decisions that impact their air, water, and the places where they live work and play. In many towns in the Ohio River Valley, low-income communities, communities of color, and LGBTQ+ communities are unfairly exposed to poor air and water quality, unhealthy living conditions, and harmful land use, just because of their zip code. The historic and current decisions that have created environmental injustices have led to higher rates of asthma, heart disease, cancers, mental health challenges, and lead poisoning. Take a look to see how your community is doing: EPA Environmental Justice Mapping Tool.
Fair Shake’s Community Democracy Program supports Environmental Justice communities in the Ohio River Valley feel healthy, happy, and connected to their community because they have meaningful involvement in decisions that impact the places they live, work, and play.
The mission of the Black Appalachian Coalition (BLAC) is to build a multi-state campaign that amplifies black voices, dismantles the colonized narrative of Appalachia, and uses story-based strategies and solutions that center the voices and lived experiences of Black Appalachians.
For more stories and information about The Black Appalachian Coalition please visit www.blackappalachiancoalition.org.